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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26781535">Crooked</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuinTalon/pseuds/QuinTalon'>QuinTalon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Horror</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:13:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>958</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26781535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuinTalon/pseuds/QuinTalon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione was overwhelmed by a feeling of wrongness. Everything about him felt off. </p>
<p>He looked… Crooked.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Crooked</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A huge thank you to MidnightValkyrie for reading this over for me - you're amazing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  
</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione stepped into the darkened entry of the cottage she shared with her husband. The nights were getting longer with the sun setting earlier and the unexpected thunderstorm that rolled in earlier that day made what should have been a diminishing twilight into the darkest of nights.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Stepping out of her heels and placing them neatly by the door, Hermione strained her eyes down the hallway. She thought she had seen a shadow at the far end, just passed the edge of her vision. She shook her head and pulled off her cloak before lazily waving her wand to light the sconces on the wall. She glanced down the hall again and chuckled to herself. Nothing there, just as she thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The wind was picking up outside and Hermione could hear the creaking branches of the trees that surrounded their home. She made her way to their bedroom and quickly changed out of her work robes and into her most comfortable pajamas.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Draco would be working late tonight and she just wanted to enjoy a cuppa and a good book while she waited for him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tea in hand, she opened the door to the library and was startled to see her husband standing at the fireplace, his back to her. No lights were on beyond the fire that was burning low in the grate. It cast an eerie glow as it flickered and sputtered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her husband had still not moved or acknowledged her presence. Setting her cup down on the side table, Hermione took a step towards him, concern building up in her chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Draco? Love, I thought you were still at work. Did something happen?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The creaking of old wood sounded in the room as Draco slowly turned towards her. The storm broke outside and rain began to beat against the windows.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His face was blank when their eyes met, no emotion at all in his features. Hermione’s first thought was that something awful must have happened and her husband was hiding behind his mental barriers. He often would retreat into old habits and use Occlumency when he was struggling with his emotions, but it was a tactic he’d had to use less and less in recent years.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Hermione took two more steps towards him, her hand reaching out when she stopped. Something wasn’t right.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The warmth she normally felt from Draco’s gaze was absent. It was cold, empty. Even when his shields were at their strongest, Hermione could always see a flicker in them. But the man standing in front of her had nothing in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A gust of wind shook the trees outside, the branches creaking loudly. A brilliant flash of lightning lit up the room and Hermione blinked against the brightness as the windows shook from a clash of booming thunder. When her eyes refocused, Draco was standing just out of arms reach.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She hadn’t seen or heard him move.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Now that he was closer, Hermione was overwhelmed by a feeling of wrongness. Everything about him felt off. The blankness of his face, the stiffness of his body, the way he was leaning just slightly to the right. His skin looked waxen and his features were just a touch out of place.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looked… Crooked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Fear began to seize her lungs when Hermione realized that this was not her husband. She opened her mouth to scream but found that she couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. Could only watch the thing that looked like her husband come closer to her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tears clouded her eyes as Hermione struggled against whatever force held her, her mind screaming every counter-spell she could think of.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He slowly moved towards her, the creaking of wood Hermione had attributed to the trees outside emanated from him and sheer terror flooded her. The wedding ring on his hand flashed in the firelight as his cold fingers looped around her neck.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The last thing Hermione saw before blackness overtook her was his face stretching into a crooked smirk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Draco sighed in relief when he walked into the entryway of their little cottage. It had been a horrid day and he was ready to grab a quick dinner and then snuggle up with his wife. The lights were on in the hallway so he knew she had made it home safely despite the storm.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hung up his cloak and kicked off his shoes as he called out for her. “Sweetheart, I’m home!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No answer came, the only sound was the drumming of the rain and the creaking of the trees. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Knowing that she was probably lost in the pages of a book, Draco set off to locate her, heading first to the library as it was her favorite place to relax. He smiled when he saw her standing by the fireplace, her back to him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The only light in the room came from the smoldering embers of the dying fire. It was so dark Draco could only make out her silhouette. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Huffing a laugh, he shook his head. “Why are you in dark, love? Hoping to have your wicked way with me?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Draco walked closer to her, his teasing smirk fading when he received no reply. He stopped a few feet away from her and quietly asked, “Hermione?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His wife slowly turned towards him, the groan of old wood creaking matching her movements. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dread rose within him. Something was wrong. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everything about her was stiff and just slightly off. Draco’s eyes ran over her, looking for any sign of injury or clue as to what happened to her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then she tilted her head and horror sliced through him. Her neck was at an unnatural angle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Crooked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The emerald on her wedding ring glittered in the light as she raised her hand.</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
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